World War III
World War III is a fictional global conflict and the focus of World in Conflict. The war began in 1989 when the Soviet Union invaded West Germany, and was later engaged in combat with NATO and the long-time rival of the Soviets, the United States of America. Using the latest advancements in military technology, the world's superpowers battle on land, sea and air for the different and separate goals – The Soviet Union has its own goal of the ultimate global control, while the United States has to protect the world and democracy from the dreaded Soviet communism. Background The occurrence of World War III had been a major fear for the entire global society long before 1989. When World War II concluded with the defeat of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan in 1945, the world's major political powers began to consolidate their own powers in an effort to ensure that such a conflict of such a destructive scale never repeated itself. Unfortunately, they also sought to increase their own influence in the world abroad, creating major political, military, and social tensions that sowed the first seeds of a third world war. After World War II, the United States of America and the Soviet Union became the two major superpowers of the world, and worked with their allies to ensure that a conflict in Europe did not break out again. The two sides, along with their European allies, occupied Germany and reorganized it into the democratic West Germany and the communist East Germany. The United States formed an alliance with Western Europe that eventually materialized into NATO, while the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact in Eastern Europe and erected the Iron Curtain, the major political division between the West and the East. The Berlin Wall was then erected (again by the U.S.S.R.) between Allied-controlled West Berlin and Soviet-controlled East Berlin, creating major tensions between the two powers. Determined to keep either side from superseding each other's authority, the two superpowers created major alliances with other nations and engaged in an arms race, which saw the two sides increase military expenditures and military authority overseas, as well as the mass production of nuclear weapons. Fearing the outbreak of nuclear war that could potentially annihilate the world, the two sides engaged in diplomatic efforts to ensure peace between the two powers, while engaging in proxy wars within satellite nations and expanding their arsenals. From 1945 to 1989, the world engaged in a long and deadly period of political tension known as the Cold War, with the world anxiously wondering if they would one day be plunged into war. Prelude The Cold War finally reached its critical stage during the Summer of 1989. During that year, the Soviet Union's economy was in ruins, threatening its communist influences across Eastern Europe and within Russia. Facing the increasing political and social unrest and the potential disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union blackmailed Western Europe to preserve its authority. It demanded that the Western World had to provide massive financial aid to the Soviet Union or it would pursue a course of war and invade Western Europe in retaliation. The United Nations ignored these calls and instead pursued diplomatic efforts to reach a cohesive settlement. Initially, the Soviet Union complied, but secretly created plans for its invasion of Europe. They put their strategy, Maskirovka (Camouflage), to conceal their goals and actions. The Soviet units were put into rigorous training while the West was fooled by the Maskirovka; due to the prepared Soviet plans, the Pacific Theater was left quiet (not for long, however), with no Asian countries willing to join the war, but China secretly preparing for it. During that summer, while the diplomatic talks were still in progress, the Soviet Union launched its assault across the Iron Curtain, triggering the opening stages of the long-dreaded World War III. European Theater The Soviet Invasion of West Germany Main Article: The Soviet invasion of West Germany European Theater - West Germany - Berlin Wall - Brandenburg Gate The Soviet invasion of Europe began with the invasion of West Germany in 1989. Initial preparations for the assault was a sneak attack on anti-aircraft defenses. When the sneak attack succeeds, the Soviets launch their massive assault on the Allied Powers occupying West Berlin. Under the command of skilled officers, the Soviets were able to defeat most of the NATO forces there. The Soviet tanks smashed through the Berlin Wall and overwhelmed the defenders. The attack was swift and deadly, and before the end of the day, they had seized part of West Germany, opening another offensive front. As the red banner was raised over Berlin, the Soviets continued their momentum with a concentrated attack on West Germany. Within days they launched another assault, and West Germany fell into Soviet hands, forcing NATO to retreat from the German front. Soviet Expansion over Europe European Theater - The Balkans, Scandinavia, and Western Europe After the successful invasion of West Germany, the Soviets proceeded to invade the rest of Europe. The Soviets attack with full-force, allocating most of their Category-A Class Armored Divisions into the battle. NATO knew the possibilities of losing Europe to the Soviets with the latter having the upper hand in both quantity and (in some regards) quality. With West Germany under almost complete control, the Soviet Union proceeded to invade several neighboring Allied states. Denmark quickly fell to the Soviets as Copenhagen was seized in the fighting. From here, the Soviets launched numerous attacks against the Scandinavian nations of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Finland quickly fell after a concentrated attack from the Russian border, leaving Norway and Sweden vulnerable to a ground offensive. It appears that the Soviets launched amphibious assaults on Sweden, seizing part of the southern coast and the capital of Stockholm, automatically making Sweden fall into the Soviets. Yugoslavia also fell under the Soviet Union's jurisdiction, leaving the rest of Eastern Europe (not including those of the Warsaw Pact) open for the future Soviet assaults. Meanwhile, the Soviet Navy stormed into the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, engaging the British Royal Navy as it attempted to reinforce their allies. While it remains on the defensive, Great Britain has held its ground (although their sea blockade in the Mediterranian Sea was later crushed by the Soviets). The Invasion of Norway Main Article: The Soviet invasion of the Norwegian Coast European Theater - Norway - Somewhere at the Norwegian Coasline After successfully taking over Sweden, the Soviets regarded Norway with importance because they would be able to use an air corridor, allowing them to fly their missions into NATO areas, if the country was under their control. However, they found out there were many large anti-air defenses in Norway, so they decided to launch a direct assault to those artilleries. As the Soviet forces entered Norway, a fierce battle between the NATO-allied Norway and the Soviet Union began. Although the Norwegian Army (and NATO forces) valiantly defended their homeland with all their might, the Soviets ultimately succeeded in their goal of eliminating the Norwegian anti-air defenses and won the battle. The NATO forces were forced to leave Norway. Since then, the Soviets took control of Norway and were later able to make some reinforcements there. American Intervention With most of Europe falling into Soviet hands, NATO forces found only one option left: Seek aid from their last ally, the United States of America. The United States was quick to intervene when the Soviets invaded. They immediately sent thousands of troops to Western Europe to assist in the defense of West Germany, where the Soviets were focusing a great deal of their resources. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy reinforced its presence in the Mediterranean as it scrambled to replace the destroyed U.S. Sixth Fleet, who were annihilated by the Soviet fleet. Through its combined efforts with NATO, the Americans were able to regain their initiative on the European Front, opening a offensive front for Allied forces. However, the Soviets had no intention of surrendering and continued to assault NATO allies. Despite this, NATO now had a shot at defending its own territories. The United States was currently focusing its efforts in West Germany, where it had made significant gains but the frontlines continued to fluctuate with every engagement. The U.S. Marines were also deployed to Iceland, where they had to help the Royal Navy retaliate the Soviet invasion. The Invasion of Iceland European Theater - North Sea - Somewhere nearby Iceland Seeing Iceland's strategic position, the Soviets prepared to invade Keflavik, an airbase in Iceland. This plan was initiated by deploying an amphibious assault to the island country in the North Sea. However, as the Soviet Navy reached the North Sea, they got engaged in a battle against the Royal Navy, which had set a sea blockade to prevent the Soviets from ever reaching Iceland. Later, the U.S. Marines arrived and joined the battle. This gave a significant advantage to the NATO forces. At the end, they were able to repel the Soviet assault and secure Iceland. Hence, Iceland remains in the NATO's side. The Invasion of France Main Article: Invasion of France European Theater - France - A French town not far away from the French Riviera The Soviet Union built upon its increasing momentum with an amphibious invasion of Southeastern France following its success to break through the Royal Navy sea blockade in the Mediterranean Sea. Catching the French Army off guard, it quickly conquered the coast and occupied all territories west of Marseilles. The Soviets then conducted a series of air raids against major French cities and bases across the country, including Paris. In order to prevent their advance into the heart of the country, the Americans sent several battalions to reinforce the French. Operations began with the liberation of the French Riviera. Commanded by Colonel Jeremiah Sawyer and Commandant Jean-Baptiste Sabatier, the NATO forces were ready to send the Soviet forces out of France. European Theater - France - The French Riviera While the U.S. Navy picked off the seaborne Soviet reinforcements, the Americans assaulted the Soviet stronghold in Marseille and recaptured it, breaking the Soviet hold on France. Unfortunately, Commandant Sabatier was killed in action after his task force was ambushed and overrun while fighting off a Soviet counterattack. However, the Soviets suffered far more casualties than the NATO did. Also, the NATO forces were successful in halting the Soviet attempt to occupy France. This enabled NATO and the U.S. to concentrate their forces elsewhere instead of just in France. France (along with Spain, though not mentioned) is the last known European country (so far) to have endured and repulsed the Soviet invasion, but with the Soviets creating a new front in America, several U.S. divisions were forced to return, leaving France susceptible to another Soviet attack. Middle Eastern Theater Little has been said about the progression of the war in the Middle East. What is known is that the United States is heavily involved in Iran. Recent information suggests that the Soviet Union tried to gain access to the oil supplies in the Middle East, likely as they knew this war is going to require lots of oil supplies. Their plans were to invade Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia for their oil rich lands. The other armed engagements in the Middle East are still unknown. Asian Theater Not much information is given about the events in Asia after China joins the war. What is mentioned is that China has apparently attacked South Korea, India, and Taiwan, possibly with the help of North Korea and Vietnam. The fate of other Asian countries remain unknown whether they were holding out on their own until the U.S. reinforcements arrived or had already been captured by China. Caribbean Theater Concurrent with the Soviet assaults in Virginia, Cuba is said to have been fighting the U.S. forces in the Bahamas, possibly as an allowance for the Spetsnaz to attack New York City. The other armed engagements in the Caribbean Theater are unknown. Soviet Theater US Operations on Soviet Soil Soviet Theater - Somewhere near Murmansk - Soviet Power Plant Several teams of Norwegian Rangers, assisted by a battalion of U.S. troops, infiltrated a location close to a power plant to secure documents from a downed U.S. bomber. The Soviet forces had a hard time fighting the threat back. The Soviets seemed unable to drive back U.S. forces due to the lack of skilled officers and vehicles in the area. They succeeded in driving the U.S. troops back, but failed in recovering the documents from the crashed bomber. To make matters worse, the Americans had inflicted massive infrastructural damage on the local area before fleeing the combat zone. Soviet Theater - Kola Peninsula - Soviet Northern Fleet Naval Base at Polyarny Main Article: Raid on Severomorsk The Soviets didn't expect an attack on their submarine base in Severomorsk and were caught by surprise. The Soviets had enough time to evacuate a few of their nuclear powered submarines. The rest were destroyed by the assault. The Soviet forces drove the U.S. forces out of the area once again, but still failed to protect some of their subs. Soviet Theater - Northern Russia - Quarry The Soviets secured a quarry for defensive position, and encountered NATO airborne forces trying to rescue their captured commanders. Lieutenant Romanov defended the prisoner camp from any NATO forces that tried to get close. The other three officers were tasked to wipe out NATO forces. The battle was long and furious, but the Soviets emerged victorious, destroying all the retreating NATO forces. American Theater Preparations for the Soviet Invasion of the United States American Theater - Virginia - U.S. Naval Yards In the days following the NATO assault on the Soviet naval yards near Murmansk, the Soviet Navy struck at the American East Coast with the remnants of its submarine fleet. Their targets were the naval facilities at the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Fortunately, thanks to the advanced knowledge of their NATO allies, the Americans successfully repelled the attack and destroyed the Soviet submarines, but also took casualties in the process. Meanwhile, Cuba, the Soviet Union's long-time ally in the Caribbean Sea, invaded the Bahamas, creating a Caribbean front in the war. Due to the islands' close proximity to Florida, the U.S. Army engaged with the Cuban Army in an effort to force them back towards their own country. However, the Cuban provocation in the Bahamas was later discovered as a distraction for the U.S. Army, as the Soviet Union launched another attack on the American East Coast shortly after the failure of the missile attack on Virginia. American Theater - New York City - Liberty, Ellis, and Governor's Islands Main Article: Battle of New York City While the U.S. Army was preoccupied in Western Europe, the East Coast was open to attack. Three companies of Spetsnaz commandos occupied Liberty, Ellis, and Governor's Islands in the waters of New York City, capturing many hostages and commandeering numerous American vehicles. U.S. Forces acted immediately and began to recapture the occupied islands. The intentions of the Soviets was to force the U.S. to withdraw all of its forces from Europe or it would exterminate the population of New York City with a chemical attack launched from Liberty Island. Ultimately, this act of blackmail failed when a concentrated assault by the U.S. Army Rangers recaptured the three islands and crushed the Soviet occupiers. Although the operation was a success, many U.S. equipment and vehicles were destroyed in the process, thereby further weakening the U.S. Forces. Soviet Invasion of the United States American Theater - Seattle, Washington Main Article: Invasion of Seattle Despite the defeat in New York City, the Soviet Union renewed its aggression against the United States. Determined to prevent the REFORGER convoys from reinforcing Europe and draw American attention away from the war in Europe, the Soviets launched a massive invasion against the American West Coast. Using a large amount of civilian freighters, they covertly transported thousands of soldiers, vehicles, and helicopters (at least the equivelent strength of several divisions; a corps) past the U.S. Pacific Fleet and invaded Seattle, Washington. The Soviets swiftly crushed the U.S. Army units there, forcing them to retreat to the countryside. Using Seattle as a base of operations, the Soviets proceeded to invade the whole of Washington State in an effort to distract the U.S. Army. The President ordered the American homeland defenses to employ any means necessary to repel the invasion. Although some Category-A Class Guards units had been sent to America, most of them were destroyed, and due to their importance, Soviet officers were forced to use Category-B and Category-C Class Units, such as Light Tanks. American Theater - Seattle, Washington - I-90 Bridge Main Article: Retreat of Seattle Following the invasion of Seattle, the Soviets found a retreating U.S. Army convoy and proceeded to pursue them. Soviet light forces engaged US forces while waiting for the armored support. The U.S. forces were more than a match and secured the I-90 Bridge. In the process, they also rescued civilians and the family of a general living there. The U.S. Forces succeeded in escaping and destroyed the bridge to halt the Soviet Forces. American Theater - A few miles from Seattle - Farmlands After a few days, the Soviets needed to open up a new offensive front for their forces, and proceeded to invade the U.S. Farmlands for more ground and resources. There they encountered guerrilla resistance. The Soviet forces at the time had only light units, which hindered most of their frontal-firepower capabilities. After defeating light resistance, a group of U.S. Forces attempted to counter-attack the Soviet forces to regain their lost ground. The U.S. counterattack forces were armed with heavy firepower units, but the skill of the Soviets managed to destroy them. American Theater - Washington - Pine Valley Main Article: Battle of Pine Valley In the weeks following the fall of Seattle, the Soviet Union occupied much of the American countryside, easily capturing Tacoma and possibly the state capital of Olympia. The battle-worn Washington National Guard and regular U.S. Army units came under the command of Colonel Jeremiah Sawyer, who rallied his surviving forces for a counterattack aimed at halting the Soviet advance. Their target was the coastal town of Pine Valley, which had been occupied by Soviet paratroopers. Assisted by the Oregon National Guard, which had been redirected to Washington, Sawyer's forces staged a large offensive against the town, eventually capturing it, thanks to the tactical assistance from the U.S.S. Missouri. After the battle, Soviets were forced to retreat from the town and head for other objectives. American Theater - A few miles from the US Farmlands - Countryside After hearing the news about the successful U.S. counter-attack on Pine Valley, the Soviet forces once again needed more ground for it's troops. After the capture of U.S. farmlands, they proceeded to capture the countryside. The Soviets encountered unexpected guerrilla forces, but dispatched them with no problem. However, after a while, the guerrillas proved a nuisance; they effectively halted Soviet advances for a short while. But seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, and days to weeks. The Soviet forces decided to end the rebel resistance by destroying their headquarters and capturing their leader. The attack was successful, but it was followed by yet another U.S. counter-attack. And like the previous U.S. attempt, the counter-attack was nullified by the Soviet forces. The Soviets once again mobilized, and were given orders to neutralize the SDI or the Strategic Defense Initiative to gain the ability to launch Tactical Nuclear Warheads. Although it was a bluff, only the Americans knew it. Almost all Category-A Class Guards units are allocated to the mission, leaving other Soviet forces with light equipment. American Theater - Cascade Range - Riverbed leading to Cascade Falls Finding out what the Soviets have planned, American forces prepare to defend the SDI project; for if they fail, it could mean a Strategic Nuclear Exchange, and they could not afford to let it happen. While Wilkin's batallion prepared the defenses Fort Teller, Sawyer's batallion is sent to keep the Soviets preoccupied. The Americans buy the forces at Fort Teller enough time to fortify and they retreat to Cascade Falls, with the Soviets hot on their trail. American Theater - Cascade Range - Cascade Falls After a month of consolidation and restructuring, the Soviets renewed their offensive in Washington and advanced westward to the mountains, where they hoped to capture the American installation at Fort Teller. Their goal was to shut down the Strategic Defense Initiative, a space-based weapons program aimed at defending the U.S. in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack. However, the Soviets didn't realize that the project had been a failure, and if they discovered the ruse the U.S. would be subject to nuclear attack. Colonel Sawyer and Colonel Wilkins of the Oregon National Guard raced to Fort Teller's defense, stalling the Soviet advance in the mountains. They retreated to the town of Cascade Falls, where they intended to trap the Soviet offensive force and destroy it in a bombing run. When word came down that the Soviets had reinforcements coming, the Americans turned to their last option: A tactical nuclear strike. The U.S. Army pulled back all of its forces while a handful of units under the command of Captain Mark Bannon stayed behind to distract the Soviets. The ploy succeeded and the resulting attack annihilated the Soviets, saving Fort Teller and with it the whole United States, at the cost of many American civilian lives. American Theater - Cascade Range - Path towards Clearwater Creek American forces were trying to reestablish a chain of command, as the nuclear blast let out an EMP wave that disabled most communication equipment. As U.S. forces also tried to gather scattered forces in the sundered riverbed, they also faced Soviet stragglers. The U.S. forces were able to regroup and stop a large force of Soviet stragglers, and proceeded to retake all of their lost ground. U.S. Counterattack After the costly battles around America, the U.S. forces took time to repair and regroup, and prepared to push the Soviets out of the American Theater. The U.S. troops in the European Theater reinforced some of the troops in America, providing them more power, but leaving the parts of Europe vulnerable to any Soviet offensives. American Theater - The Path to Seattle - Clearwater Creek As the Americans gained momentum in their counterattack, they proceeded to try and breach the Soviet defense perimeter. Clearwater Creek, a town that has a road that leads to Seattle was the primary objective for Sawyer's batallion, for its capture would enable a straight path to Seattle. The attack went as scheduled, but the U.S. Forces faced several delays. A bridge leading into the town square have been destroyed by the Soviets, cutting of a armored company and forcing the Americans to take an alternate path. The Americans found another bridge, only to have it blown up by the Soviets once again. They only had one option left: The long path. The town was captured by the U.S. forces, and they also blocked off a Soviet counter-attack. As the U.S. forces gained a fast route to Seattle, Soviet forces prepared for the worst – A large American counter-attack. Reported Chinese Involvement As the months of war passed on, General Morgan reported that a new ally of the Soviets had just entered the war – The People's Liberation Army of China. They invaded the neighboring countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and India. With the massive number of American forces about to retake Seattle, the Soviets asked them to reinforce the Soviet forces in Seattle. Several fleets of Chinese ships left the docks and headed for America, bringing with them a large number of troops and materials. Preparations to Retake Seattle American Theater - The Path to Seattle As the Americans prepared to retake Seattle, they were suddenly told to halt; Army command wanted to give the American forces time to replenish their losses, as well as having an assignment for a small force of American soldiers. Their top priority, other than retaking Seattle, was to capture two Anti-Ship Missile Launchers on Sandfish Island, to stop the Chinese should they ever make it past the Puget Sound. American Theater - Puget Sound - Sandfish Island The U.S. forces headed to Sandfish Island to capture the anti-ship defenses, as ordered, so that they would be able to stall the Chinese fleet, which would become a potential advantage to the Soviets. The Last Stand in Seattle American Theater - Seattle, Washington After taking over the anti-ship artilleries, finally the U.S. forces were ready for the last thing they have been focusing on since the Soviet invasion of America – Save Seattle. The President ordered Colonel Sawyer, Lieutenant Parker, and Major Webb to lead the operation to retrieve Seattle. The city was still heavily guarded by the Soviet occupants. However, the U.S. forces were able to catch them off-balance, and then some of them even started making an offensive front. In order to hold off the upcoming American counterattack towards Seattle, the Soviets launched a large amount of tanks without realizing that their HQ would be open for the Americans to destroy. The U.S. forces later launched a successful seizure of that building, and they also managed to retake the harbor. However, during the operation, Major Webb's company was wiped out, with Webb himself being severely injured by a Soviet rifleman who was about to kill Colonel Sawyer. Despite the severe losses, the U.S. finally managed to retrieve Seattle before the Chinese fleet arrived. Unwilling to lose the city, Captain Malashenko commanded his remaining forces to launch a counterattack, but it failed. As the Chinese fleet arrived at Seattle, they discovered that there were no more of the Soviets in the city. They later called off the attack after being overwhelmed by the anti-ship artilleries. Seattle has finally been liberated, but the World War III is not yet over. While Seattle is recovering, the armed conflicts in Europe and Asia are still occuring. On the other hand, it is possible that the Soviets will return to invade America, in a larger scale. Category:World In Conflict